1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to a vehicle exhaust system, and more specifically, to permanently affixing the vehicle exhaust system components using magnetic pulse welding.
2. Background of Related Art
Exhaust systems typically include a plurality of exhaust members that are joined to one another by metal inert gas (MIG) or tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding. The coupling of exhaust members together requires that the coupled joints be leak-proof. Traditional MIG and TIG welding methods present several disadvantages. For example, there is a potential physical interface issue between the head of welding device and the head of a bolt (for fastening a flange member to respective exhaust member) when fastening the exhaust pipe/tube to a flange of the exhaust system. In addition, the conventional welding process requires long cycle times to weld a single circumferential seam resulting in environmental cleanup issues.